This guest column was produced by Claude.Ai and ChatGPT using prompts from Issues editor James Whittaker, analysis of Compass reporting and regional studies on AI’s likely impact.
Opinion: Cayman must act now on AI
The Cayman Islands is at a crossroads. While we debate whether artificial intelligence matters to a small island, the rest of the world is racing ahead. AI is no longer theory – it’s reshaping industries and economies in real time. For a globally connected, service-driven economy like ours, the stakes could not be higher.
Studies from KPMG and Goldman Sachs warn that up to 40% of jobs worldwide could be touched by AI, especially in white-collar fields. Here, that means parts of our financial services industry – compliance checks, transaction monitoring, reporting – could be automated within the next decade.
But this isn’t just about jobs disappearing. As the AI and the Future of Work 2025′ report points out, the technology doesn’t erase work so much as reshape it. By taking over routine tasks, it frees people to focus on higher-value work – work that requires creativity, problem-solving and human judgment. Handled smartly, AI could give Caymanians new “superpowers,” helping us do more and do it better.
The upside for the islands is enormous. AI-driven hurricane models could deliver earlier, more accurate forecasts and save lives. Smarter traffic systems could finally ease gridlock. Reef monitoring powered by AI could make Cayman a regional leader in marine conservation. And AI-powered telemedicine and diagnostics could improve healthcare for residents while growing medical tourism.
Our size, often seen as a limitation, could be an advantage. We can test solutions quickly, refine them, and even export our expertise to other small jurisdictions. But that will only happen if we act with intent – and act now.
The risks of doing nothing are real. Privacy could vanish in a community where anonymity is already scarce. Without a plan, we could become a “data colony,” with decisions made offshore while Caymanians are left out of the value chain. And if we let foreign-built systems drive local decisions, we risk eroding the culture and values that make this place unique.
The first step is to close our skills gap. UCCI’s 2024 Labour Market Assessment suggested too few Caymanians are trained for jobs in ICT, renewable energy or healthcare – fields where AI is already driving growth. Without bold action, we’ll stay dependent on imported expertise and watch opportunity pass us by.
That means a coordinated national strategy. Accessible, industry-recognised training for students and mid-career workers. Digital literacy and basic AI skills embedded in schools from the earliest grades through university. And tight collaboration between government, business and education sectors to make sure what we teach matches what the economy actually needs.
Other places are showing what works. Singapore paired public investment with private partnerships to triple its AI talent pool in just a few years. Cayman doesn’t need billions to succeed – but we do need vision, urgency and focus.
This will take investment – roughly $75-$90 million over five years, according to the ‘AI and the Future of Work’ roadmap. That covers training, infrastructure, pilot projects and legal and regulatory updates. It’s a serious commitment, but the alternative – lost jobs, missed opportunities and less control over our economic future – would cost far more.
Here’s the irony: This article was drafted by AI tools with prompts from Cayman Compass journalists. That’s the point. The technology is already here, shaping conversations, influencing decisions and driving policy debates. The question is no longer whether AI will reshape Cayman, it is about how and who will lead that process.
Cayman can lead, becoming a model for small-island innovation and exporting our expertise globally. Or we can drift, relying on systems built elsewhere, for problems we understand better than anyone.
The future won’t wait. It’s time we stopped debating whether AI matters – and started writing the story of our own future.
Editor’s Note: For the avoidance of doubt, the Compass does not use AI to produce other articles for its publication.
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The real crossroads is fixing traffic. Hopefully AI can do that since the road works and the Deloitte report can’t.
The promise of large scale medical tourism was the carrot laid before Govt when Health City obtained duty free waivers on their imported equipment and a waiver of work permit fees on all staff. I’m not sure if this still applies, but for sure there has been no inpouring of medical tourism as far as I’m aware.
We’re all aware of the double-edge of AI technology, as is chacteristic of any modern technology; AC vs DC, cars vs horses. This AI generated article makes it clear.
I would like to think that many young Caymanians will see AI as a dual opportunity. In sectors where it may be a threat, adjustments will be necessary.
The generation of younger Caymanians may be one of the most “spoiled” of any. To many, the video game was nanny and the politicians were providers. They are the second generation of the hand-out, entitled mentality that some Caymanians are rightfully accused of. They are the ones allegedly averse to lower paid menial jobs, or who flaunt “want to be their own boss” attitudes. AI is a gift to people like that, if the will is there.
Firstly, I think it’ll be quite a while before 345 resorts will be featuring computer-controlled bars, robotic servers, self-changing bedrooms, robotic landscapers, etc. Similarly, I don’t see mass robotics in the local construction and its support industries and others, too soon. So, those jobs and more are secure inspite of AI. Some of the desirable “neck tie” jobs, not so much. So, common sense should inspire some jobseekers to gravitate to service and vocational jobs.
Secondly, for Johnny who wants a job but no work, works when he wants, wants to be his own boss, AI is the perfect door to entrepreneurship.
It’s not as if opportunities haven’t existed for Caymanians over the past few decades. There could be lots more at the glass ceiling level in all sectors yes, but it’s a long way to the ceiling and quality takes you up and…..every dollar earned on the way up counts. Entry level opportunities have existed and continue to exist but so have the excuses.
Some of those youth need to get off their lazy butts and grab these new AI opportunities, within the bounds of law. Politicians need to encourage the embracing of such opportunities, instead of perpetuating the old hand-out mentality, buying votes. Legislators need to be assessing what, if any, regulatory measures should apply to AI.
AI is here, like it or not. Adapt.